In June of this year, SupplyChainBrain presented, in collaboration with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, the first ever Global Supply Chain Marketing Summit. The event offered an unprecedented opportunity for marketing professionals to learn how prospective customers want to be approached by vendors, and which products and services they’re looking to buy. One of the most interesting takeaways over those three days was the revelation that a relationship that has the potential to be entirely transactional — give me the best product for the cheapest price — is anything but that. Turns out that the most successful engagements are those that are built on a foundation of partnership. 

Read more: Full List of SupplyChainBrain's 100 Great Supply Chain Partners 

What do we mean by this well-worn word, which seems to appear in every press release trumpeting a vendor’s “customer win”? In our fast-moving, margin-challenged, capitalist world, is there room for the touchy-feely? What value does it bring to the buyer, the seller and the bottom line? 

Readers of our annual special issue honoring “100 Great Supply Chain Partners” know the answer to those questions. True partnerships, we’ve learned, lie at the heart of countless profitable ventures. That’s especially true in supply chain management, where customers’ needs so often transcend the marketing and selling of mere commodities. Buyers of supply chain services, products and technology have requirements that are specific to their circumstances. One might be a startup looking to gain traction in a new market. Another, a veteran provider challenged by fresh competition. Or one that’s struggling to scale operations in response to surging customer demand. Or — as was frequently the case over the past three years — one that’s coping with sudden supply disruptions and a shortage of logistics capacity. What they have in common is the need to work with a vendor that takes the trouble to understand their business and respond with tailored solutions.

We’re pleased, then, to offer another batch of case studies that underscore the need for true partnerships, drawn from our 2023 list of 100 Great Supply Chain Partners. (Keep in mind that the vendors included here weren’t allowed to place themselves on the list — they had to be nominated by satisfied customers.) Read about how: 

• Barrett Distribution Centers turned to GatherAI for autonomous drones in the warehouse. 

• Biocair improved visibility of cell and gene-therapy shipments with technology from Tive. 

• Bubs Australia relied on software from SPS Commerce to manage its long-distance retail supply chain. 

• Defunkify addressed planning, scheduling and distribution challenges with the help of River Rock Advisors. 

• Emser Tile redesigned its distribution network through the services of Jones Lang Lasalle. 

• Hy-Capacity undertook a deep dive into its warehouse storage needs with Alpine Supply Chain Solutions. 

• JD Logistics automated a California DC with a storage and retrieval system from Hai Robotics. 

• Meraxis addressed risk in its polymer supply chain with Siemens Digital Logistics. 

• Monark Equipment Corp. streamlined its dealership network with software from TADA Cognitive Solutions. 

• Olympia Chimney Supply turned to Cornerstone Edge to develop criteria for selecting a third-party logistics provider. 

• Sage Freight managed a newly acquired truck fleet with a digital platform from Leaf Logistics. 

• Saks Fifth Avenue cut down on theft at the DC with a system from Vector Security Networks. 

• Rampart Supply worked with PathGuide Technologies to automate its vendor-managed inventory program. 

Check out our full list of 100 Great Supply Chain Partners for more examples of how vendors went the extra mile with creative solutions for their customers. For providers and buyers wishing to surmount the endless challenges that come with managing modern-day global supply chains, we’re convinced that this is the path to future success.